Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments)

1st Amendment

Freedom of speech, press, petition, press, & assembly.

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms.

3rd Amendment

No quartering of troops.

4th Amendment

No illegal search and seizure.

5th Amendment

Right to due process, grand jury, no double jeopardy, no self-incrimination, & eminent domain.

6th Amendment

Guarantees a speedy, public, impartial trial by jury.

7th Amendment

Right to a trial by jury in a civil case over $20

8th Amendment

No cruel and unusual punishment.

9th Amendment

Unenumerated rights not necessarily written out in the Constitution.

10th Amendment

Rights reserved to the states.

Criminal Law

Initiated by the government through a prosecutor or district attorney

Civil Law

Initiated by a private party (the plaintiff) against another private party (the defendant)

Criminal vs. Civil Law

Civil law deals with disputes between private parties and focuses on compensation for harm, usually resolved through financial awards. Criminal law addresses offenses against the state or society as a whole, focusing on punishing the offender through fines, probation, or incarceration

Fully Incorporated Amendments

1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th

Amendments Not Incorporated

3rd and 7th